Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
PALESTINIAN Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Almassri has condemned a barbaric act by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank after a Palestinian family was forced to exhume the body of their 80-year-old father from a freshly dug grave.
In a statement, Ambassador Almassri said the incident involved the family of Hussein Asasa, which was reportedly compelled to remove the deceased’s body despite having the necessary burial permits.
He said the incident reflected the worsening plight of Palestinians in the occupied territories.
“This heinous act is a clear example of the extreme measures that Israeli settlers are willing to take to assert their dominance over the Palestinian population,” said Ambassador Almassri.
“It is a stark reminder of the systematic dehumanisation of Palestinians that is unfolding across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and spares no one — neither the living nor the dead.”
Ambassador Almassri said attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank had sharply increased since October 2023, resulting in deaths, injuries and displacement.
He said at least 13 Palestinians were killed within a month in settler-related violence, while hundreds were injured and many families displaced from their homes.
The ambassador accused the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of accelerating illegal settlement expansion and empowering settlers and soldiers to commit violence against Palestinians.
“Netanyahu’s fascist government, which staunchly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, has been accelerating illegal settlement building and empowering Israeli settlers or soldiers to use their weapons to commit violence against Palestinians, increasing threats to the safety and livelihoods of Palestinians,” he said.
Ambassador Almassri also claimed that the death toll from Israeli military operations in Gaza had risen to 72 740, with 172 192 others injured since 2023, while more than 12 000 people remained buried under rubble.
He called on the international community and global institutions to intervene and hold Israel accountable.
“The international community has a moral obligation to condemn the Israeli government’s actions and to hold them accountable for their crimes,” Ambassador Almassri said.
“The United Nations and other international organisations must take a strong stance against the Israeli government’s actions and demand that they respect the rights of the Palestinian population.”
The conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to attract global attention amid rising civilian casualties, humanitarian challenges and escalating tensions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
